The Return of Mango Madness

For the last month or so, as they impatiently awaited the rainy season and endured rising temperatures, Nicaraguans have been treated to the next best thing: the mango season. It´s not such a bad trade, really. At first, only tiny, super-sweet mangoes were available. But as we´ve moved deeper into the season, you can get the bigger, more balanced ones: A couple of these guys can really fill you up for breakfast.

Those of you who followed my Indian correspondences last summer know how deeply I care for mangoes. You may remember how I fought off a troupe of hostile monkeys for the sake of my mangoes. (And if you don´t remember, the story is posted toward the bottom of this blog.) So having tasted the Indian version of the fruit, and reveled in the extended mango season on the subcontinent, I was keen but also skeptical to try the Central American counterparts: What if it just didn´t compare?

And at first, I wasn´t overly impressed. But as we have progressed here, I must say that I´m really enjoying now. I´ve had about two dozen mangoes that have been simply excellent--tasty fruit combining with a singularly messy (and thus enjoyable) eating experience. These could have been mixed in with an Indian barrel of mangoes and no one would know the difference.

So with three mangoes as a part of my daily diet, life is just a little bit sweeter.